As with the open section covered last column, the women's section of the 2006 chess Olympiad in Turin also featured a new champion. The second seeded Ukrainian team, after wins over defending champions China and the favourites Russia in the 5th and 6th rounds took the lead and held on to the finish to win gold. Russia took the silver medal and China the bronze.
The Ukrainians took the tactical decision to play their star player Katerina Lahno on board two where she cleaned up with 8/10, while the solid Natalia Zhukova held board one with an excellent 7½/10.
The New Zealand women's team, seeded 84th, performed well to finish in the group tied for places 72-80. The experienced WCMs Vivian Smith and Sue Maroroa held the top two boards allowing Eachen Chen and Natasha Fairley to rack up points on boards three and four. Chen earned the WCM title for her 5½/10 and Fairley the WFM title for her 6/10.
Today's game was Fairey's 6th win from round 12, where she was playing with Black against Luzia Guimaraes of Angola.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 d6 7. h3 Be7 8. O-O Na5
White's choice of the ancient Andersen Attack in the Ruy Lopez is not particularly testing for Black. Here she takes the chance to exchange the strong White light-squared bishop. White's response is somewhat weakening, simply developing with Nc3 being preferable. 9. c4?! Nxb3 10. Qxb3 Be6 11. Ng5 bxc4 12. dxc4 Bd7 13. c5?! ---
If there was apoint to 9 c4, it was in the bind gained over the d5 square. This throws that away just to threaten mate for one move. We now get a Sicilian-like pawn structure, with Black unusually ahead in development. 13. --- O-O 14. cxd6 cxd6 15. Nc3 h6 16. Nf3 Be6
Hitting the queen with Rb8 develops a new piece, while the bishop may yet want to come to c6 to attack White's e-pawn. 17. Qd1 Qb6 18. Qd3 Rfc8 19. Rd1 Qc6 20. Be3 Bc4 21. Qd2? ---
Losing the e-pawn – 21 Qc2 was better. 21. --- Nxe4 22. Nxe4 Qxe4 23. b3 Be6 24. Re1? Qg6
Possible was 24 ... Bxh3! since if 25 Bf4 Qg6 and the bishop can't be taken. The move played still threatens Bxh3 and plans to infiltrate on c2 with a rook. Both could have been prevented by 24 Ne1. 25. Kh1 Rc2 26. Qa5 Qf6
Threatening h3 again. After White's reply, the weakness of a6 forces Black to regroup so she can bring her last piece into the game, the rook on a8. 27. Ng1 Rc6 28. Rac1 Rac8 29. f3 Bd8 30. Qb4 a5 31. Qb5 Bd7 32. Bd2? Rxc1!
Winning the exchange thanks to the discovered attack on the White's queen, after which Black aims to exchange queens to more easily exploit her material advantage. 33. Qxd7 R1c2 34. Rd1 Qe7 35. Qg4 Qh4 36. Qxh4 Bxh4 37. Bxa5 Rxa2 38. b4 Rcc2!
The threat of Rxg2 and Rh2 mate can only be stopped by White at the further cost of the knight – 39 f4 e4! preventing 40 Nf3.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rc4+! winning the queen, since if 2 Kxc4 Qb4+ 3 Kd5 Qc5 mate.
Ukraine win women's Olympiad
Problem: Black to play and win.
As with the open section covered last column, the women's section of the 2006 chess Olympiad in Turin also featured a new champion. The second seeded Ukrainian team, after wins over defending champions China and the favourites Russia in the 5th and 6th rounds took the lead and held on to the finish to win gold. Russia took the silver medal and China the bronze.
The Ukrainians took the tactical decision to play their star player Katerina Lahno on board two where she cleaned up with 8/10, while the solid Natalia Zhukova held board one with an excellent 7½/10.
The New Zealand women's team, seeded 84th, performed well to finish in the group tied for places 72-80. The experienced WCMs Vivian Smith and Sue Maroroa held the top two boards allowing Eachen Chen and Natasha Fairley to rack up points on boards three and four. Chen earned the WCM title for her 5½/10 and Fairley the WFM title for her 6/10.
Today's game was Fairey's 6th win from round 12, where she was playing with Black against Luzia Guimaraes of Angola.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. d3 b5
6. Bb3 d6
7. h3 Be7
8. O-O Na5
White's choice of the ancient Andersen Attack in the Ruy Lopez is not particularly testing for Black. Here she takes the chance to exchange the strong White light-squared bishop. White's response is somewhat weakening, simply developing with Nc3 being preferable.
9. c4?! Nxb3
10. Qxb3 Be6
11. Ng5 bxc4
12. dxc4 Bd7
13. c5?! ---
If there was apoint to 9 c4, it was in the bind gained over the d5 square. This throws that away just to threaten mate for one move. We now get a Sicilian-like pawn structure, with Black unusually ahead in development.
13. --- O-O
14. cxd6 cxd6
15. Nc3 h6
16. Nf3 Be6
Hitting the queen with Rb8 develops a new piece, while the bishop may yet want to come to c6 to attack White's e-pawn.
17. Qd1 Qb6
18. Qd3 Rfc8
19. Rd1 Qc6
20. Be3 Bc4
21. Qd2? ---
Losing the e-pawn – 21 Qc2 was better.
21. --- Nxe4
22. Nxe4 Qxe4
23. b3 Be6
24. Re1? Qg6
Possible was 24 ... Bxh3! since if 25 Bf4 Qg6 and the bishop can't be taken. The move played still threatens Bxh3 and plans to infiltrate on c2 with a rook. Both could have been prevented by 24 Ne1.
25. Kh1 Rc2
26. Qa5 Qf6
Threatening h3 again. After White's reply, the weakness of a6 forces Black to regroup so she can bring her last piece into the game, the rook on a8.
27. Ng1 Rc6
28. Rac1 Rac8
29. f3 Bd8
30. Qb4 a5
31. Qb5 Bd7
32. Bd2? Rxc1!
Winning the exchange thanks to the discovered attack on the White's queen, after which Black aims to exchange queens to more easily exploit her material advantage.
33. Qxd7 R1c2
34. Rd1 Qe7
35. Qg4 Qh4
36. Qxh4 Bxh4
37. Bxa5 Rxa2
38. b4 Rcc2!
The threat of Rxg2 and Rh2 mate can only be stopped by White at the further cost of the knight – 39 f4 e4! preventing 40 Nf3.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rc4+! winning the queen, since if 2 Kxc4 Qb4+ 3 Kd5 Qc5 mate.